1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shock absorbing bow stabilizer that is mounted to an archery bow, for one reason to reduce recoil, shock, vibration and noise when an arrow is shot from the archery bow. More specifically, this invention relates to a shock absorbing bow stabilizer having a sealing device mounted with respect to a removeably mounted plug, preferably made of a resiliently deformable material, to sealably contain a liquid and/or a solid within a chamber of a hollow body of the shock absorbing bow stabilizer.
2. Description of Related Art
Various bow stabilizers and vibration dampeners have been developed to both balance and absorb shock when an arrow is shot from an archery bow. These conventional bow stabilizers generally have a hollow cylinder filled either with a viscous fluid or solid particles to attenuate vibration when an arrow is shot from an archery bow. For example, one conventional bow stabilizer has a hollow body that defines a sealed chamber that is partially filled with granular solids. The bow stabilizer is mounted to the archery bow and has a counterweight that is fixedly adjustable along a longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow body. The hollow body has two end plugs, each end plug having a connecting portion connected to a plug portion. The connecting portion has a peripheral knurled surface to secure the end plug to the hollow body of the bow stabilizer. The end plugs are typically press fitted to the hollow body to contain the granular solids within the hollow body.
Disadvantages associated with the conventional bow stabilizers include leakage of the liquid or solid from the hollow cylinder due to inadequate sealing at the end plugs, the inability to remove end plugs to fill the chamber or to replace the end plugs, and a decrease in bow stabilizer performance, for example as a result of a change in climate. For example, a fluid viscosity may change as the temperature changes, resulting in a decrease in bow stabilizer performance and in bow accuracy.
There is an apparent need for a bow stabilizer having a hollow body forming a chamber to contain a fill and a removeable plug that adequately closes an opening of the hollow body to sealably contain the fill within the chamber.
It is also apparent that there is a need for a sealing device to enlarge or change the shape of a resiliently deformable plug positioned within an opening of a hollow body to close the opening and sealably contain fill within a chamber of the hollow body.